FAQs

Etaoin

— Shrdlu

+ I want to make a piece. What now?

Select your type, size and metal, finalize your order, and we will send a kit out to you. You and your Kid Jeweler can look here for inspiration. Detailed instructions can be found here. Send your piece back when it’s done and prepare yourself for the awesomeness that you’re going to get back in up to six weeks.

+ I'm not a kid. Is that OK? Can I order a kit?

Absolutely. We don't check ID's! We welcome all Kid Jewelers, big and small. Have fun!

+ Do we have to use all the wax? If we don't, is the piece cheaper?

Your Kid Jeweler should use the wax they need. The cost of the piece doesn't change if you use less. But if you combine the practice wax we send you, supplemental charges will apply.

+ Why did you send me two waxes? Can my Kid Jeweler combine them?

One is for practice and play and the other is the for the real deal (or making a 2nd design). The sizes of the wax are determined by weight of the metal of the piece purchased. If you decide to mix them, when it comes back to us, we will contact you with additional surcharges for finishing the heavier and larger piece created.

+ I want to turn something I made with the extra wax. Can I?

Of course! Drop us an email at make@kidjeweler.com and we will set up the 2nd wax as an additional order at a 15% discount. Place the finished pieces in separate baggies inside the Kid Jeweler tin so they don't touch each other and mail them both back to us in the provided pre-paid mailer.

+ Can I return my unopened kit for a refund? Can I return my finished piece?

+ What is the difference between the size of the gold and silver pendants? Are the kits different?

14k gold is significantly heavier and more expensive than silver. We translate that difference to the size of the wax piece you receive. The wax in the gold kit is smaller than the wax in the silver kit to make the pendant a wearable weight and more reasonable price. The larger wax in the silver kit makes for a bigger, bolder Kid Jeweler pendant which we are able to offer because silver is both lighter and significantly cheaper.

+ Is my brass / silver Kid Jeweler piece going to tarnish?

Both will. Sterling silver and brass are both alloys containing metals that react with chemicals in the air and produce tarnish. If the tarnish bothers you, it is easily removed by dipping the piece in an anti-tarnish solution, rinsing it well and blotting the piece dry with a well-worn cotton rag.

+ Is the wax safe?

Our wax is 100% non-toxic but don’t eat it or put it in your mouth, nose, ears or eyes. A responsible adult should supervise all Kid Jeweler activities and never leave children unattended with small objects. The wax––like any wax––can stain textiles and porous surfaces so before starting, prepare and protect your work area by putting down wax paper or cling wrap first + protect your clothing.

You can have it all! Email us to start working on a more customized order.

+ Can I help my Kid Jeweler?

Absolutely! You can shape the blank, art direct, help with ideas—whatever is appropriate for the age, artistic ability and attention span of your kid. Or be a Kid Jeweler yourself, if you like!

If your Kid Jeweler isn't up to making their piece, you can make a starter shape for them to sculpt, texturize, write on, press fingerprints into or otherwise help do the work that their hands cannot. Some of the most exciting and moving pieces we've finished are the simplest artistically. They all are so special in that they capture the fleeting moment of the Kid Jeweler's ability at that age.

+ How much time will making our wax masterpiece take?

From our experience, most older (tween and up) Kid Jewelers start and finish their project within an hour. Younger Kid Jewelers work significantly faster: 20-30 minutes, if that. Take a break or come back to the project on another day if you think your Kid Jeweler’s attention span has lapsed.

+ My wax is hard. How do I get it soft?

Knead it for a few minutes and it will become pliable.

+ My wax is too goopy for my kid jeweler to create fine details. How can I get it to be harder?

Place your wax on top of its bag or on a piece of wax paper in the freezer and it will harden quickly so that fine detail work is easier.

+ My Kid Jeweler wants to join small pieces together but doesn’t want to have to squish them to do so. What do we do?

Push them together as best you can and note your needs on your care-card. Ideally, take a photo of the piece laid out the way you want it before you ship it back to us and email that to us with your project number. We will make sure your Kid Jeweler’s elements are connected as intended without any squishing!

+ I can’t make what I want. Will you do it for me?

We’d be delighted to. Tell us what you want by emailing us. We can help you a little or a lot. Everything is possible.

+ How long will it take for me to get my piece back? Can you rush my piece?

The transformation of your piece from a wax to a finished piece in metal will take up to six weeks. You can expedite your piece to a rush order at checkout or by emailing us. Our rush fees vary by the time of year.

+ Can my Kid Jeweler pendant be reversible?

That all depends on the design. There needs to be a workspace where molten metal will enter the piece so in most cases, so some small, central area on your piece needs to be free of detail. We find that most Kid Jewelers only finish one side but if you have special ideas for both sides of the piece, we will do our best to accommodate that. If you have any special instructions for what you want, please make note of this on your Kid Jeweler care-card which is included with your kit.

+ What do YOU do with the wax? Are you going to make all the details on the piece even and perfect?

We will carefully study your wax and any notes forwarded to us to make the most of your design and honor it while still retaining all the beloved marks of your Kid Jeweler’s hand.

Our intention is always to follow the lead of your Kid Jeweler. The more finely detailed a creation is, the more we will follow that design and clarify it. For example, we will refine any flat details to reflect the Kid Jeweler’s intention and make sure that any engraved marks are deep enough to make an impression in the finished, polished casting. On the more free-form and expressive pieces, we will use restraint handling your wax so that that original artistry is left unchanged. On all waxes, we will figure out the piece’s attachment to the chain or key ring (as selected).

We never seek to make any piece look conventional or store-bought but should that be what you want, you can email us or let us know that on your care-card. For a fee, any design can be ‘standardized’ and wiped of marks of the handmade if that is your preferred style.

+ What if my Kid Jeweler piece doesn't come out?

It is very rare that a piece will fail to cast. In the extremely unlikely event your project does not cast, we will send you a new kit with our sincerest apologies.

+ If I want to add stones to my piece or make changes to my piece later, can I?

Totally. You can always send back your piece to have stones added, have it engraved, whatever. We are a full-service jewelry studio and whatever you can dream of is always possible.

+ I have something else I want to make. Can you help me?

Our pleasure! We have 25 years of experience making custom fine jewelry of all kinds. We’d love to help you with your idea—–whether you want to make part of it yourself, if you want us to make it for you or anything in between. Email us with full details of your project and we'll take it from there!

+ I love my Kid Jeweler piece. I want to give them to my mother/my aunt/my grandmother/my Kid Jeweler's godmother . . . How do I do this?

Easy peasy! We create a 3d scan of every Kid Jeweler jewelry design (not objects). This opens up lots of possibilities. We can make additional copies in any castable size and any metal. A bold pendant can become a teeny charm or earrings or whatever you can envision. Email us with your idea.

+ Who holds the copyright to my Kid Jeweler design?

Your Kid Jeweler does. We don’t acquire the rights to your design and we will never recreate or copy your piece. We do retain the right to use pictures of any Kid Jeweler work submitted to us in our marketing efforts and we cannot be responsible for anyone else taking inspiration from that design.